CAST

Day Ash (Fortune Teller/Ensemble)is excited to be back at Blank Canvas Theatre. She is ecstatic to have a chance to work with this amazing cast of freakishly talented beings. Her credits include The Vagina Monologues (The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could), Hairspray (Soloist), Urinetown: The Musical (Little Sally),The Colored Museum (Last Mama on the Couch/ Hairpiece), Avenue Q (Gary Coleman), Children of Eden (Snake), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Muzzy), Ghost The Musical (Clara Brown), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (St. Monica), and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (Lady in Orange). Day, thanks her Grandma for her unending love and support in the pursuit of her dreams! She wants you to remember, “Don’t trade in your authenticity for approval!” Enjoy the show! www.daysash.com

Becca Ciamacco (Daisy Hilton) is thrilled to be back on the Blank Canvas Theatre stage with this awesome cast! Past BCT credits include Urinetown: The Musical (Soupy Sue), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Suzanne), Reefer Madness (Ensemble), Our Town (Emily), Hair (Jeanie), and Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical (Roberta). Becca also teaches and directs for the youth theater program at Beck Center for the Arts. Thanks to YOU for being a part of our circus!

Joel Fenstermaker (Terry) is thrilled to be returning to the stage at Blank Canvas Theatre. His recent credits include Chicago (Mary Sunshine), Titanic (Henry Etches), The Wedding Singer (George), The Wild Party (Ensemble), and The Producers (Carmen Ghia). He is so happy that Pat has given him this chance to be part of another BCT family. He would like to thank his roommate for putting up with impromptu music rehearsals at all hours of the day, and for being a line rehearsal partner and caretaker to the crazed, fur-covered monster that is his dog. He would also like to thank Bryan for his care, understanding, and love.

Joe Gibson (Lizard Man/Ray/Ensemble)is happy to be playing Ray in this production. Since returning to theater after a three-year hiatus, he has been cast in Man of La Mancha (Dr. Carrasco) at the Academy for Dramatic Arts, Beauty and the Beast (Gaston) at Near West Theatre, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Ensemble) at Blank Canvas Theatre. While pursuing a degree in Film, Television, and Interactive Media from Cleveland State University, Joe is very excited to continue acting in various theaters around Cleveland. Expect to see him in plenty of shows in the near future!

Stephanie Harden (Violet Hilton)is excited to be performing again at Blank Canvas Theatre, having appeared in Urinetown: The Musical (Hope Cladwell) and Bat Boy: The Musical (Shelley Parker). Other favorite credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie), Songs For a New World (Woman 1), and Hello, Dolly! (Irene Malloy) at Rabbit Run Theater. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Christine) and Company (April) at Capital University, Into the Woods (Lucinda) at Lakeland Civic Theatre, and Young Frankenstein at Beck Center for the Arts. Stephanie is the vocal music director for Mentor Theatre and is currently working on The Music Man. Full-time, she is a middle school choir director in her fifth year of teaching.

Katie Jerome Taylor (Half Man/Half Woman/Ensemble) is delighted to be making her Blank Canvas Theatre debut in this phenomenal production! Katie is a recent graduate of Youngstown State University with her B.F.A. in Musical Theater. She has recently been seen on other Cleveland stages such as Near West Theatre and Mercury Theatre Company. Favorite credits include Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl), A Funny Thing....Forum (Domina), The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (Rona), and The Spitfire Grill (Percy). With over twenty years of dance experience in various styles such as ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop, and contortion/acro, Katie currently serves as a choreographer/instructor for Miss Darcy’s Academy in Sheffield. When not onstage, she enjoys sewing and playing guitar! Special thanks to husband Jake, parents Sharon and Joe, and two adorable pups Bruiser and Tucker for all their love and support! Enjoy the show!

Ian Jones (Buddy Foster) is honored to be a member of this cast of Sideshow. This is Ian’s second production with Blank Canvas Theatre, his first being Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Thanks to Patrick for the opportunity, and to mom and dad for their constant support. IG: jonezdaddydelux

Andrew Keller (3-Legged Man/Ensemble) is very excited to be returning to Blank Canvas Theater! He is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University, where he studied acting and directing, and appeared in Noises Off (Freddie), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (George), and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Gordon). Recent local credits include The Silent Sky (Peter Shaw)at Clague Playhouse, The Dining Room (Various)at Bay Village Community Theater, Our Town (George) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (Potiphar/Dan) at French Creek Theater, The Phantom Tollbooth (Humbug), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Peter), and Farragut North (Ben) at Ensemble Theater, and The Bigfoot Letters (Roger Korman)here at BCT.

Daryl Kelley (Jake) is positively agog to be returning once again to his favorite performing arts venue in The Land, Blank Canvas Theatre! He was last seen here in Urinetown:The Musical (Bobby Strong). Other BCT credits include The Rocky Horror Show (Phantom), Equus (Nugget/Horseman), and Cabaret (Hans). Daryl extends his most profuse thanks to… you (yep, I’m talking to you) for supporting local theatre! Благодария!

Leah Kraynak (Tattoo Girl/Ensemble) is very excited to be making her debut performance with Blank Canvas Theatre! Her past credits include Panache (Laura) and Richard III (Queen Margaret). Past credits with the Cleveland State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance include Angels in America (Harper), Lysistrata (Calonice), and Cabaret (Rosie). Leah also studied Theatre at Kent State University. She graduated from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts: School of Film and Television in 2009 with a Meisner Scholarship. Some NYC credits include Bye, Bye Birdie (Helen), My Fair Lady (Mrs. Hopkins), Clever Voices (Tammy), and Nobody Heard Me Cry (Crystal). Leah was also a member of the sketch comedy group The New York Comedy Connection. Film credits include Kingsbury Run (Betty Blythe), and Hibbing and Twist, both directed by Chip Hourihan. Thanks to friends and family for your support!

David Lenahan (Dog Boy/Harry Houdini/Ensemble)is excited to be making his debut at Blank Canvas Theatre! Having recently graduated from the University of Mount Union, David has performed at theaters all over Cleveland including none too fragile, convergence-continuum, Beck Center for the Arts, Mercury Theatre Company, and Shakespeare at the Castle. Some of his favorite credits include Boy (Adam Turner), In the Closet (John), Much Ado about Nothing (Claudio), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), The Little Mermaid (Jetsam), The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (William Barfée), and Mary Poppins (Neleus). He also performed with MorrisonDance for the 2017 Danceworks Series at Cleveland Public Theatre and is excited to be performing with them again this May.

Vince Matia (The Geek/Ensemble) is excited to be making his Blank Canvas Theatre debut; his previous credits include Songs for a New World with The Academy for Dramatic Arts and Godspell with CAMEO in Medina. Vince earned his degree in Music Education from The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music at Baldwin Wallace University, and now teaches music and theater at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls. When not directing rehearsals with his show choir, building sets for school musicals, or teaching voice lessons, Vince can be found performing with the Baldwin Wallace Men's Chorus. He would like to thank his family for their unending love and support.

Julie C. Okuley (Venus de Milo/Ensemble)—received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Musical Theatre from Siena Heights University in 2011. Favorite roles include Hannah in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, Nancy D in A New Brain, and Lavinia in the two-part production of Mourning Becomes Electra. She has been seen on the Croswell Opera House stage in multiple productions, including A Chorus Line (u/s Kristine, Connie) and Titanic. Recent credits include playing Quince in Aurora Community Theatre’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition to onstage work, Julie loves being behind the scenes and has worked on productions such as The 25th Annual …Spelling Bee (Stage Manager, Francoeur Theatre), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (lights, Croswell Opera House), Hocus Pocus (sound), and The Dazzle Awards (ASM, Playhouse Square), and has most recently stage managed for the Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share performances for the past three seasons. She is currently employed full-time with the Community Engagement and Education Department at Playhouse Square.

John J. Polk (The Sir/Browning/Ensemble) is pleased to be bringing yet another in a parade of authority figures, blowhards, villains, and foils to the Blank Canvas Theatre stage. BCT audiences may have seen him in Urinetown: The Musical (Caldwell B. Cladwell), Cabaret (Herr Schultz), Floyd Collins (Ed Bishop), Our Town (Doc Gibbs) and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Dale Harding). Other recent performances include roles in The Winter’s Tale (Old Shepherd), Inherit The Wind (The Judge) and “The Scottish Play” (Duncan, Old Siward) at the Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival, Lend MeA Tenor (Henry Saunders) and Mary Poppins (The Chairman, Admiral Boom) at Beck Center for the Arts, and Spirits To Enforce (The Snow-Heavy Branch) at Cleveland Public Theatre.

Jacob Schafer (Human Pin Cushion/Ensemble) is very excited to make his Blank Canvas Theatre debut. Though this is his first time with BCT, Jake has performed on numerous stages in the Greater Cleveland area including Beck Center for the Arts, Cassidy Theatre, Tri C West and more. Jake has been featured in dance ensembles in Cabaret, Chicago, Fame the Musical, Footloose, and Cats. Supporting roles include those in The Full Monty (Ethan), Clue: the Musical (Professor Plum), Rent (Benny), Titanic (John Thayer), and Children of Eden (Abel). Leading roles include those in Cabaret (Cliff Bradshaw), Wait Until Dark (Henry Roat Jr), Same Time, Next Year (George Peters), Big the Musical (Josh Baskins), and Banquo in MacBeth, A Rock Opera. In addition to performing, Jake has choreographed many shows including productions of Cabaret, Godspell, Guys and Dolls, Pippin, and The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee. Jake is very excited to be working with such a talented group of people. Special thanks go out to friends and family who have supported him through the years and to Patrick for this great opportunity.

Susan M. Wagner (Bearded Lady/Auntie/Ensemble) is excited to finally make her debut at Blank Canvas Theatre! Performing her whole life, starting with a solo in kindergarten, she has been seen on several stages in the Cleveland area and elsewhere. Some of her more recent and favorite credits include Our Town (Mrs. Webb), Forbidden Broadway (Woman 2), Play On! (Geraldine “Gerry” Dunbar), and Girls Nigh: The Musical (Carol). Other credits include You’re A Good Man,Charlie Brown (Snoopy), Heartbeats (Best Friend), Fallen Angels (Saunders), Clue: The Musical (Mrs. Peacock), The Music Man (Marian Paroo), They’re Playing Our Song, (Ensemble), Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble), Jekyll & Hyde (Ensemble), Once Upon a Mattress (Orchestra), commercials, voiceovers, and murder mysteries. In “real life” she is an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay.

Meredith Aleigha Wells (Bird Girl/Ensemble) is a musical theatre artist and writer from Massachusetts. Recently, she performed her original, one-woman musical, Dysfunctioning Just Fine at the My True Colors Festival in NYC, where she received the 2017 Purple Skies Playwright Award. Meredith is a company member of Dancing Wheels, Cleveland’s physically integrated, touring repertory company, as well as a YouTube content creator. Other performing credits include The Mint Play (Margaret), Cabaret (Emcee), Rent (Maureen), Heidi Latsky: On Display, and David Dorfman's “Imagine, If You Will…” Meredith graduated from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she created her own Bachelor's Degree in Individualized Concentration (B.D.I.C.) in Musical Theatre. She hopes to continue to use the arts as a platform to spread awareness and help dysautonomia patients and other members of the differently-abled community. www.meredithaleighawells.wixsite.com/home @meredithaleighawells

Anthony Trifiletti (Musical Director) is excited to be making his first appearance at Blank Canvas Theatre. Anthony is currently the resident Music Director for French Creek Theatre and Lorain Community Music Theatre. He has also served at TrueNorth Cultural Arts, Lorain Palace Theatre, Sandstone Summer Theatre, Amherst Workshop Players, The Human Race Theatre Company, Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings, and numerous other venues. Anthony is a 2014 graduate of the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Aside from theatre, Anthony serves on the Pastoral Staff as Director of Liturgy and Music for St. Peter Parish in Lorain.